When is the Best Time to Cold Call? Best Times and Days Explained

Cold calls are an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes. They help you reach out to potential customers and close deals faster than other forms of marketing.

But the trick is knowing when to do it.

After all, if you’re calling a customer at the wrong time, chances are you won’t get the response you want.

In this post, we’ll dive into the best time to cold call so that you can maximize your chances of success.

From finding the perfect day and hour to considering customer demographics and more, we’ll cover all the bases so that you can start making cold calls like a pro!

We’ll also discuss how you can enhance your cold-calling efforts with personalized email campaigns!

Let’s get started.

The 7 Types of Cold Calls

Cold calls come in all shapes and sizes, each with unique benefits and drawbacks.

To help you determine which cold call is right for your business, we’ve compiled a list of the most popular types of calls below.

Prospecting calls: These calls are made to potential customers to generate new business.

Appointment-setting calls: These calls are made to schedule a meeting or appointment with a potential customer.

Qualifying calls: These calls are made to gather information about a potential customer’s needs and determine if they are a good fit for a company’s products or services.

Follow-up calls: These calls are made to previous customers or leads to check in and see if they have any new needs or are interested in additional products or services.

Sales calls: These calls are made to close a sale with a potential customer.

Surveys: These calls are made to gather information about a product or service or customer satisfaction.

Lead generation: These calls are made to gather contact information for potential customers so the company can follow up with them later.

The Best Time To Cold Call

An astronomical 70% of salespeople still use the tried-and-true method of cold calling to generate new business.

But let’s face it, finding the perfect time to make that call can be a real challenge.

When exactly is the best time to make a cold call?

Let’s dive into some recent studies to find out.

Studies have shown that the best times to make those all-important calls are between 11 am – 12 pm and 4 pm – 5 pm.

Call center software CallHippo conducted a study and found that the sweet spot for cold calls is between 4 pm – 5 pm, followed by the 11 am – 12 pm window.

Sales intelligence solution InsightSquared also found that the best times to make cold calls are between 10 am – 11 am and 4 pm – 5 pm.

A study by Revenue.io revealed that decision-makers are more likely to engage with cold callers in the late afternoon, specifically within the 4 pm – 5 pm hour.

And PhoneBurner, after analyzing datasets of 11 million calls over four years, found that the best times to cold call are 10 am – 2 pm.

As you can see, there’s a clear trend emerging.

Call connection rates tend to dip after 11 am as people leave for lunch and again after 5 pm as people are wrapping up their day.

The Best Day To Cold Call

Cold calls will most likely be answered on Wednesday and Thursday.

These midweek days are often the best time to reach out to prospects, as they are more open to making deals.

They also have enough time to consider your offer and make a decision. Plus, these days tend to be slower regarding work responsibilities, so your prospects are more likely to answer your call.

The Worst Times to Cold Call

The worst times to cold call are when your potential customer is likely to be busy or distracted.

On Weekends and After hours

Interrupting someone’s family dinner or downtime can make a terrible first impression.

While some people are available 24/7, only some are, and it probably isn’t worth the risk for your reps.

Early Hours of the Morning

Most people use the early morning hours to focus on deep work and accomplish tasks without interruptions.

Violating those hours can put your reps in the prospect’s bad graces and make them less likely to engage.

Federal Holidays

In North America, federal holidays carry a lot of weight among people.

Interrupting Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas festivities makes your reps look out of touch and desperate, which certainly won’t help them close more deals.

During Peak Hours

Although calling at high conversion hours increases the likelihood of a response, it’s also when there’s the most competition.

That’s why your reps should be strategic and consider off-hours as they may be the best time to call.

When is the Worst Day To Cold Call?

The worst days to do cold calling are typically Mondays and Tuesdays.

Many professionals are finishing work left from the previous week or completing tasks that came in over the weekend. So they’ll have less time to listen to your pitch.

Fridays can be a bit more challenging. Most people are getting ready for the weekend and may be less willing to commit to a sale on a day when they have less time to review the details.

On the other hand, Fridays could also be one of the better days to cold call, as people are winding down and may be more receptive to a sales pitch.

How can you make sure you’re getting the most out of your cold calls?

Tips for Cold Calling Success

Cold calling can be challenging for sales reps. But it is a highly effective method for generating leads and boosting sales, as long as best practices and strategies are employed.

Here are our top tips to get the most out of your cold calls:

1. Research Research Research

Cold calling is pitching to a potential customer with no prior relationship with your business.

As such, you must do your research before making the call.

Who are you trying to reach with your cold call?
What needs or pain points do they have that your product or service can address?

Once you understand your target audience, you can start researching specific companies or individuals.

What do you know about the company?
What are their current goals and objectives?
How can your product or service help them achieve those goals?
What objections might they have to your offer?

Answering these questions will help you be more prepared for the call and increase the likelihood of success.

2. Look At Other ‘Best Timings’

When you make a cold call, you interrupt someone’s day. As such, it is important to be mindful of the best times to contact potential customers.

Best timings also include the time you spend on a particular call.

If a customer is not interested, don’t waste time trying to persuade them. Realize it’s time to move on and focus your efforts elsewhere.

Top Tip: Plan ahead and set a timeframe for each call to maximize your outreach’s efficiency.

It is also vital to consider how often you should call each potential customer. The number of times you contact someone depends on the industry and product/service type.

However, as a general rule, try not to make more than one call every few days. This will help not overwhelm the customer with too many requests.

3. It’s a Race, and The Best Response Time Wins!

The best response time wins! In other words, the sooner you pick up the phone and start talking to a prospect, the better your chances of success.

The key is reaching out to your prospects when they’re considering your products. One of the easiest ways to do this is by having a fast response time to form submissions on your website.

Even if the lead is coming in on your CRM at 4:45 pm on a Friday, don’t hesitate to call them.

Research has revealed that the likelihood of successfully connecting with a lead increases dramatically when a call is made within the first 5 minutes instead of waiting 30 minutes.

A recent study by Drift of 433 companies found that if you take more than five minutes to respond, your chances of qualifying leads decrease by 80%.

4. Use Autodialers To Save Time

Cold calling can be time-consuming and frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be.

Autodialers make it easy to automate your cold calls, so you can make more calls in less time and improve your chances of success.

Autodialers are computer programs that automatically dial phone numbers and connect callers to the person they are trying to reach. This means that you can make several calls at once without having to manually dial each number.

5. Follow-Up Calls are Essential for Maintaining Engagement.

When making cold calls, one of the most important things you can do is follow up with your leads.

Many salespeople make the mistake of thinking that their job is done once they’ve made initial contact with a lead. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

To maximize your chances of success when making cold calls, you need to be persistent and follow up with your leads regularly.

One of the best ways to stay in touch with your leads is to make follow-up calls. These calls are invaluable for keeping your leads hot and ensuring they remember you and your product/service.

During follow-up calls, you should build rapport, keep the conversation going, and, most importantly, gauge interest. If you find that a lead is no longer interested in what you offer, move on and focus your attention elsewhere.

The general rule of thumb is to wait 1-2 weeks before making a follow-up call. This gives the lead ample time to think about your offering.

6. Call Time Matters, but so do Accurate Mobile Numbers.

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of trying to call someone only to find out that the number is no longer active.

While this can happen for various reasons, it’s especially common with mobile numbers.

As a result, you must ensure that you have the most up-to-date contact information for your leads and customers.

There are a few ways to do this:

Use a lead management system: A comprehensive lead management system will have tools in place to help keep your contact lists updated. This may include features like automatic number verification or manual updates from users.

Ask for updated contact information: Whenever you interact with leads and customers, ask for their current phone number and email address. This will help ensure that you always have the most up-to-date contact information.

Keeping your contact lists accurate will pay off in the long run by helping you avoid frustrating missed calls.

7. Remember, Sales is a multiple-touchpoint process.

Sales is a multiple-touchpoint process that involves creating and nurturing relationships with potential customers over time. The goal is to eventually turn those prospects into customers who buy your product or service.

Remember that building relationships takes time, so don’t expect to make a sale on your first call.

Instead, focus on developing rapport and trust. Ask questions about their business and their needs. Offer helpful advice and resources, even if they don’t buy from you immediately.

8. Craft a Script For Success

The old adage “practice makes perfect” holds true when it comes to cold calling.

The more you do it, the better you’ll become at reading people and adapting on the fly. However, there’s more to a successful cold call than just winging it – you also need to have a good script.

Your cold call script should be designed to achieve two things: get the prospect’s attention and interest and make them want to learn more about your product or service.

Your script should be short, sweet, and to the point. It should also be flexible enough to adapt it based on who you’re talking to and what they say.

Here are a few tips for crafting an effective cold call script:

Start with a strong opener: This is your chance to make an excellent first impression. Make sure your opener is attention-grabbing and relevant to the product or service that you’re selling.

Keep your calls short and to the point: Get right to why you’re calling, and be clear about what you’re offering.

Be prepared for objections: Anticipate objections that your prospect might have and have responses ready.

Be friendly and upbeat: Smile while you’re talking on the phone, even if the person on the other end can’t see you.

End with a call to action: Always end your call with a clear next step for the prospect – whether that’s scheduling a meeting or downloading a demo.

No matter how good your cold call script is, there’s no substitute for practice and experience. So don’t be afraid to get out there and start making calls!

9. Encouraging Action

When making cold calls, it is important to encourage action from the person you are speaking to.

This can be done by asking them specific questions that require a response, such as “What would it take for you to switch to our company?” or “Can we schedule a time for a follow-up call?”

Questions like these will keep the conversation going and increase the chances of getting the information or commitment you want.

Enhance Your Cold Calling Success With Personalized Email Campaigns

Setting up and sending personalized email campaigns to your prospects is the perfect way to complement your cold-calling efforts.

While setting up a cold email process can take some time, the time and effort will be worth it!

Here are a few ways personalized email campaigns can help your cold calls:

Builds trust: Personalized emails show that the sender has taken the time to understand the recipient’s needs and interests, which can help establish a connection.

Increases engagement: Personalized emails are more likely to be opened and read, which increases the chances of the recipient engaging with the content and taking action.

Provides context: An email campaign can provide more detailed information and context about a company’s products/services.

Provides a way to follow up: Personalized emails can be used to follow up with leads who have yet to respond to a cold call.

Need help setting up a top-notch email automation system?

PersistIQ provides features such as email sequencing, call dialer, and lead prioritization, allowing sales representatives to reach out to potential customers and close more deals efficiently.

The platform also offers a personalized email campaign feature that allows sales teams to easily create and send highly-targeted, dynamic, personalized emails.

Are you ready to get a boost in your monthly sales numbers?

Book an obligation-free demo with PersistIQ today to find out more!

When is the Best Time to Cold Call?